


Reviving Ophelia

by mcgarrygirl78



Series: Thicker than Water [64]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drama, F/M, Family, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-26
Updated: 2012-02-26
Packaged: 2017-10-31 18:09:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/346951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Marriage is great for some people.  For others I'm sure it’s the equivalent of hell on earth.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reviving Ophelia

**Author's Note:**

> This story is written in the Thicker than Water universe where the BAU are kids and teens. It’s the sequel to First Comes Love then Comes Marriage.

Jason came out of the bathroom wearing a big grin. There Emily was on his bed watching something on TV. That wasn’t the reason he was smiling, they had been sharing a bed virtually every night since her 18th birthday. He was smiling because she was dressed in his boxers and tee shirt. He was smiling because she was going to be his wife. 

Wow, yeah, he still couldn’t get that word out of his head. He’d bought an engagement ring and proposed. It might be the single most spontaneous thing Jason Gideon had ever done in his life. Luckily he would only have to do it once. Spontaneity could be nerve wracking.

“I love it when you smile.” Emily said as he walked toward the bed. “You're so handsome. I mean you're adorable all day everyday to me, but when you smile the whole world sees what I see.”

“What do you see?” Jason asked. He finished running the towel through his damp hair and put it in the hamper. Tomorrow was laundry day.

“I see your happiness.” She held her arms open and Jason went right to them. Then she kissed him. “When you're smiling you can't hide it from the world.”

“Well I am kinda happy right now.” 

“Why? Did your grades come? Did you make the Dean’s List?”

“I don't know yet. But I do know that there's this girl, this awesome girl, and she loves me.”

“Oh she must be super awesome.” Emily grinned.

“Oh yeah.” this time Jason kissed her. “Are you sure that being with a mundane guy like me for the rest of your life isn’t going to cramp your style?”

“You are not mundane, Jason. I've never once thought that about you.”

“But you're definitely adventurous. I've always thought that about you.”

“Yeah,” Emily nodded. “I do love an adventure. I'm going to take you on many of my adventures with me. The rest I’ll drag my friends on. We’re gonna have such an awesome life. Just think how awesome it’s been so far. It can only be better when we’re grownup and living our own lives.”

It would be close to a decade before all the kids were 18 and out of the house. And just because they were in college didn’t mean they would stray far from home. By then Emily would be 26 and Jason 28, giving them a couple of years to live in wedded bliss before starting another family. Actually that would give them plenty of years to live in wedded bliss, even if they were raising Spencer and Ashley instead of their biological children.

“So when’s the big day?” Emily asked.

“What big day?” Jason countered.

“Oh my God, Jason Gideon, we’ve been engaged for less than 24 hours and you’ve forgotten already.” She laughed.

“Oh, you mean that big day.” He blushed a bit. “I'm sorry, I wasn’t even thinking…silly me. I don't know honestly. You're in your first year of college now and I'm not sure of your postgraduate plans.”

“I'm definitely going for my Masters. It'll probably be in international studies since American University has such a great program. Then again, so does George Washington.”

“OK, so we’ll get married in August 2003. It’ll be really, really hot but we’ll do it before you start graduate school and approximately before I join the FBI Academy. How does that sound?”

Emily just smiled. She was still pretty speechless. She could not believe Jason Gideon got down on one knee at Kassmeyer’s Tree Farm and asked her to marry him. She couldn’t believe he bought a one carat three-diamond solitaire set in platinum from Tiffany. That would never cease to blow her mind. 

It all seemed to be a dream. All through the evening Emily was floating on air. She sang Christmas carols, baked cookies, brownies, and decorated their awesome tree. But in reality she was somewhere between awake and asleep waiting for the alarm to go off and let her know it was all a dream.

“Pinch me.” she whispered.

“Do you really want me to or is this a metaphorical thing?” 

“See, how could I not love you? You ask me if things are metaphorical.”

“I just don’t want to get in trouble for any pinching.”

He laughed and his laughter made Emily laughed. They cuddled in bed together. A Christmas movie played in the background, snow fell outside, and the house was quiet. Emily loved to just listen when it was quiet like this. She would listen to the way she and Jason breathed in sync. 

She loved the sound of his heartbeat, or the way his fingers moved across her skin. There would be random movements on the bed, springs creaking or the headboard moving. If she listened intently she could hear the furnace three floors below or Ashley’s Powerpuff Girls cuckoo clock that softly clicked as the second hand went around and around. The nine year old’s life had become all things Powerpuff and Pokemon…Emily could admit to indulging her just a bit. The other kids didn’t mind; no one felt any less loved because Ashley got puzzles, sneakers, and stuff.

“I hardly know what its going to be like tomorrow.” Emily said. “What's my first full day engaged going to be like?”

“Well they’ll be pancakes for brunch.” Jason replied. “And tomorrow is laundry day so that’s always pretty busy. Plus you and Zoë are going shopping for the last of the Christmas stuff, right?”

“Oh yeah…see, I’d forgotten about that. We’re driving to Chevy Chase and hopefully we’ll be done when we leave. I don’t want to be out too long; the last weekend before the holiday is mass hysteria. But Coop is coming with us so at least we’ll have plenty of laughs. I think we’ll get our picture taken with Santa again…it’s gonna be our little tradition.”

“It’s good to have traditions with friends and family. I'm happy that your friends stayed close too and you didn’t have to struggle to meet new ones. It’s never easy when you commute to school; you miss out on so many of the experiences.”

“I'm not missing out on anything.” Emily replied, cuddling closer and sighing. “I'm a bit of a non-traditional student but I love college. I worry about you though, with your best friend being so far away.”

“We still talk twice a week. I miss him like crazy, I won't bother to lie, but I'm not unhappy that he's pursuing a life for himself somewhere. We’ll be together again. Hotch needs to do this for Hotch and I'm doing what I need to do for me. We’ll meet on the other side as grown men.”

“Do you think he and Megan might…?”

“I can't even begin to speculate.” Jason shook his head. “They’ve been together almost two years and seem happy. I think I know Hotch pretty well to know if he was faking that. Its strange, he's more comfortable in his own skin with her than I've ever seen him…except when he's with us.”

“Speaking of skin…” Emily turned the tables and straddled him.

“Were we?” Jason’s grin was unmistakable. 

He put his hands on her hips while shifting his weight underneath her. What kind of star was he born under that this amazing young woman loved him? She didn’t just love him, but she lusted after him as well. They’d been sharing a bed most nights since Emily’s 18th birthday in October, though she still spent time in her room. 

The plan was to move in fully after the New Year before they both got busy with school again. Since they were engaged now it wouldn’t be seen as strange. But they definitely planned to sit the family down and discuss it. They always did things as a family.

“OK, maybe we weren't.” she giggled. “But I think we should. The house is quiet; everyone is asleep.”

“Not everyone.”

“The kids are asleep.”

“You'll get no argument out of me on that.”

“Good, cuz I don’t want arguments.” Emily lifted the tee shirt over his head and then took off her own. She was showing her hand, so to speak, she knew it was hard for Jason to focus on anything but her when she was topless. And the soon to be Mrs. Jason Gideon wanted his full attention. “I want skin. I want a whole lotta skin.”

“I think you might be insatiable, Emily Prentiss.” Jason laughed and pulled her down for a passionate kiss. “I'm willing to take some of the credit for it.”

“Shh.” She put her finger gently on his lips. Then Emily turned off the TV and the light. It was time to celebrate. It was time to connect, be as close as they could be, and know they'd get to be that way for the rest of their lives.

***

“It’s possible that I ate my weight in brownies this evening.” Megan said. She was sitting Indian style on the couch with a brownie. “I at least ate Ashley’s weight in brownies. I'm not ashamed at all you know.”

“You shouldn’t be. It’s Christmastime and we’re all allowed to overindulge.”

“What did you overindulge in today, Aaron Hotchner?”

“You.” he replied, smiling and showing his dimples.

“Your cuteness grips even me sometimes.”

They were sitting in the den. While Hotch missed his room when he moved away, he found he missed the couch even more. Many sleepless nights up with Jason, Emily, Megan, or Morgan; talking, laughing, and watching something ridiculous on TV. That’s what he was doing tonight with the girl he loved. They were going to be home for a whole month and Hotch was happy. 

He and Megan were doing great in New York City. School was good, he was sure he made the Dean’s List. Making friends wasn’t the easiest thing for Hotch but he met a few good people in classes. He liked spending his free time with Megan anyway. She excelled at Barnard and he was so proud of her. 

Still he missed her when they weren't together. The longer commute to get to each other, even though they were in the same city, was exhausting. After freshman year they planned to get an apartment together. It would be halfway between the two schools so commuting back and forth wouldn’t be so bad. They might spend all day on two separate campuses but they’d be together at night. 

Jason asked him if that was a good idea, cohabitating. Hotch knew his best friend wasn’t trying to start anything; he was just looking out for him. Hotch thought it would be fine. He and Megan were going to get a two bedroom apartment so they could have their own spaces and a space where they could be together. 

He wanted to be with her. The dorms were comfortable; they should be for what they cost. But he couldn’t make them feel homey. Hotch tried everything and nothing worked. Even though he did his best not to think too far ahead, he thought a home with Megan would be pretty homey.

“So you were in on the engagement ring to-do from the ground floor?” she asked.

Aaron looked at her. She was enjoying her brownie, seemed to be paying attention to whatever it was on TV. Hotch thought they should watch a movie before bed but he was fine going with Megan’s flow.

“I didn’t mean to be.” He replied.

“Well, I love that Jason bought Emily that amazing ring and took a year to pay for it. That’s the kind of love and dedication that lets a woman know she's worth it to the man she loves.”

“So taking credit for it would be to my benefit in your eyes?” 

Megan laughed, leaning to kiss his cheek. Hotch was so…he was something. He was probably petrified that news of Emily and Jason’s engagement would send Megan on a wedding tailspin. She’d never been a follower so now probably wasn’t a good time to start. She was happy for his best friend and twin but they weren't Hotch and Megan. 

They were the stuff movies were made of, young lovers who made it through adversity to live happily ever after. Surely they would find a role for Meg Ryan in the movie about them; maybe she could play Erin Strauss. Megan didn’t care about marriage right now. She didn’t care about engagement. She cared about college, Manhattan, and Aaron Hotchner. 

Those three things were all that were on her mind. It was going to be hard to split his time between New York and DC when they were on school vacations. Hotch was a homebody. He loved his family and wanted to be with them. 

She liked them too; they made her feel welcome. Still, she wanted to create a little place in the world for her and Aaron. It wasn’t about taking him away from them but it was about helping him find his own happy bubble. Jason and Emily had one…he deserved one as well.

“Just tell me what happened.”

“Well it was innocuous really. We were walking past Tiffany but I wasn’t even paying attention to the window. Jason saw it and he stopped. He just stopped and walked right into the store. I had no choice but to follow. 

“I admit the ring was beautiful but I was in shock when he actually bought it. Jason is not the impulsive sort; not that buying an engagement ring is so impulsive. But it was a Tiffany ring. I don't know,” Hotch shrugged. “I knew that Jason loved Emily; I knew because he told me and I saw it with my own eyes. But the second he put the down payment on that ring I knew I was witnessing something kinda big.”

“Well I knew you loved me when you bought me Bessette.” Megan said.

“Yeah?”

“Mmm hmm.” She nodded.

Bessette, the stuffed Corgi Hotch bought her last Christmas, was named after the late Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. Megan idolized her as a cosmopolitan woman of the world and fashionista. She was so excited when she tore off the wrapping paper and found a puppy. It was the best gift she’d ever received. It came from the heart. It meant Hotch listened to her when she talked. And it was just plain sweet. 

She didn’t have any stuffed animals. Thinking back on her early childhood before Melinda and her bastard father broke up; Megan had a room full of dolls and teddy bears. After the divorce, when he kicked them out of the house and turned his back on them completely, Megan destroyed them in a rage. They didn’t mean anything to her…were just a reminder of what was never to be again. They were a reminder of what never really was. 

But Bessette was a happy sign about the present and future. At least that’s how Megan looked at it. She didn’t need diamonds, yet; that might be nice one day. For now she just wondered what she would open next Saturday. One week into the future was as far as she was willing to look at the moment.

“Wanna watch a movie?” Hotch asked. He broke off a piece of her brownie and ate it.

“Will be bicker over which one?” she countered.

“Ladies choice.”

“Well I'm not a lady so I guess…”

“Haha,” he smirked. “Pick whatever you want; I want you to enjoy it.”

“Uh oh.” Megan said.

“What?”

“You got me a shitty Christmas gift, didn’t you? That’s why you're being so nice to me, isn’t it?”

“In some cultures, I’ll have you know, pillows are seen as a luxury item.” Hotch replied wearing his nearly patented straight face.

Megan laughed, throwing her arms around him. Hotch just held on tight. She was his girl; warts and all. Most days it was easy to love her but others he worried that she would hurt him deeper than anyone ever could. Megan had her issues and problems. Even on their best days they weren't far from Hotch’s mind. 

Having her away from both her mother and father was a good thing. But the time would come when Megan had to confront her past in order to move on with their future. Hotch feared it might break her and he wouldn’t be able to glue the pieces back together. It was actually his greatest fear. Losing her, and Megan losing herself, weren't an option. He wasn’t going down without the fight of his life. 

“Why do I love you?” she asked, gently mugging him in the face.

“That’s obvious…it’s all my money.”

“Man Hotchner, you're the comedy king tonight.”

He pulled her closer, loving the way her body relaxed on his.

“Megs?”

“Yeah? You know you're the first person to give me a nickname? No, that’s not true…I think it’s just the first one I tolerate. My daddy used to call me Meggie. That was way to Thorn Birds for me. What were you saying?”

“I was going to ask a question.”

“Oh, go ahead.”

“This is totally random; I'm not fishing for anything. Are you for or against marriage?”

“Marriage is great for some people.” Megan replied. “For others I'm sure it’s the equivalent of hell on earth.”

“What about us?” he couldn’t believe he was going there but curiosity gripped him hard. Here Hotch had been worried about Megan getting bitten by the marriage bug and he was asking all the questions. Approaching their second anniversary, cohabitation on the horizon, and Jason and Emily’s engagement made it a valid train of thought. He just didn’t want the train to derail and injure everyone on board.

“Oh please, that’s a no brainer. You and I are totally happily ever after.”

“Really?”

“Duh.” She looked at him, giving Hotch a quick kiss. “It’s not a race for me…I don’t care who gets to the finish line first. We’ll take our time and do it the right way for us. One thing I've always loved about you is that you accept me with all of my baggage. So I think we’ll both know when we’re ready to take next steps.”

“OK.” Hotch nodded.

“I’ll take one word responses to massive questions for $200, Alex.”

Hotch laughed some. If that was the way she wanted it then it sounded good to him. He knew happily ever after was usually bullshit but he did want his slice of the pie. He'd been through being unloved and uncertain; Hotch wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

“Are you going to pick a movie?” he asked.

“It’s not exactly holiday family fare, but I'm in the mood for _Hamlet_.” Megan said.

“Should we watch Zeferelli or Branagh?”

“Mmm, I prefer Kate Winslet to Helena Bonham Carter any day.”

“I know its all about Ophelia.”

“Yes,” Megan nodded. “But I also prefer Mel Gibson to Kenneth Branagh in this role. That’s a shock because Branagh is quintessential Shakespeare. Glenn Close nails it as Gertrude but Jacobi edges out Alan Bates for Claudius by a hair. That’s just for being Derek Jacobi. And don’t even get me started on Liev Schreiber being the best Laertes of them all.”

“Whoa, you’ve crossed into Ethan Hawke territory.” Hotch grinned. “Julia Stiles was both Ophelia and Katherine in _10 Things I Hate About You_ , which is a loose adaptation of _The Taming of the Shrew_.”

“See,” she took his face in her hands. “This is some of the reason I love you, Aaron Hotchner. You fly with me on most of my tangents. That cannot be an easy feat. We’ll go with Zeferelli since I would like to sleep eventually tonight. I don’t know if I can do four hours of Shakespeare down to the last breath.”

“I’ll get the movie.”

“I think I’ll get another brownie.” Megan smiled.

They parted ways and Megan watched Hotch sift through the videos on the bookshelves. He wanted to know how she felt about marriage. He told her it was just a question; he wasn’t fishing. Marriage was marriage…love was more important. Any couple could get married, hell her parents had and they were ridiculous. 

They even found other idiots to walk down the aisle with them a second time. As much as she loved Ophelia and Carolyn Bessette, Megan didn’t want to end up like them. She didn’t want to be gone too soon with no explanation to those left behind. Who in their right mind would want to leave Aaron Hotchner? 

Of course Megan Kane couldn’t always be accused of being in her right mind. She was feeling good right now and that’s what she wanted to focus on. This was especially since _Hamlet_ would depress her. It depressed everyone though so that was normal. Normal…yeah, Megan could be that sometimes.

***

“Jace?”

“Hmm?” brushing her long, dark hair aside, he kissed her shoulder and then the nape of her neck. Jason loved being close after they made love. Spooning was good because everything touched…nothing but skin.

“I want us to have a Jewish ceremony.”

“You do?” he was surprised to hear that.

“Mmm hmm. I know you didn’t have a bar mitzvah when you turned thirteen but you're still Jewish. Your parents raised you in the faith and it’s important.”

“Well bar and bat mitzvah aren’t mandatory to remain Jewish.” Jason replied. “A boy becomes a man at 13 and a girl a women at 12; ceremony or not. My father was raised in a Reform household but chose Humanistic Judaism in his adult years. My mother was raised in a Conservative home. Her marriage to my father and subsequent change of faith was frowned upon by my grandparents. I think it was a bit of a relief to her.”

“I've never heard of Humanistic Judaism.”

“Well it focuses on Judaism in a cultural and historical context more than religious. It’s nontheistic, which means that people have the power to shape their lives independent of a God. That’s why I focus more on Reform Judaism because I do believe in God. I would never begrudge my father for his beliefs; he loved being Jewish.”

“I want to have interfaith things in our eventual family.” Emily said. “I just feel that I should be more educated and our union should be blessed by a rabbi. Rabbis can bless things, right?”

“Close enough.” Jason smiled. “You’ve thought a lot about this haven’t you?”

“Honestly, yes.” Emily nodded. “While I didn’t see our engagement coming today, I knew it would. And I want to make sure we get all the big decisions out of the way before we walk down the aisle.”

“So we’ll be the Christmas/Yom Kippur family?”

“Something like that. We’ll do with our kids what we do now with the family except it'll be more Jewish.”

Their house did a slightly modified version of Yom Kippur. Derek and Emily were the ones who pushed for Jason to expose them to some of his faith for him to stay in touch with it.

“We’ll figure it all out.” Jason said as Emily turned on her back. She took his hand, lacing their fingers. “There's a rabbi we can talk to about it.”

“We’re getting married.” She sang.

“Yes we are.” He said too and it made Emily laugh. “I promise to make you so happy.”

“You're already ahead of the game. I promise to always, always, always love you. Plus I’ll add in a decade for good measure.”

The smile stayed on Jason’s face as they held each other and fell asleep. He was the happiest he’d ever been. It was true that he was rational, introverted, and probably boring but he was happy. He couldn’t wait to share the good news with everyone. Jason would have to wait a few years to be her husband but he and Emily were well on their way to shaping the lives they wanted for themselves. They were living it and loving it.

***


End file.
